A Letter from Constance

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity, of the father and son and holy spirit, amen.  Let it be known to all the children of holy mother church, present as well as future, that I Constance, daughter of L[ouis VI], of good memory formerly king of Gaul, and sister of L[ouis VII] the powerful king of the Gauls, and countess of St.Giles, having seen with my own eyes the innumerable benefits of the holy house of the Hospital at Jerusalem, and the works of mercy which are shown in it by the members of Christ day and night for the service of humanity, with a sense of piety and mercy, I give myself as a fellow sister (nun) in the common chapter of said holy house, in the hands of master R[oger] of Les Moulins, to be buried in their cemetery.  And I give and hand over my village, which is called Bayt Daras situated in the plain of Ascalon, which I bought freely and peacefully with my own besants, and acquired  by my just exercize to that chapter before the undersigned witnesses, freely and peacefully in perpetual alms.  And for the salvation of my soul and that of my father of pious memory, L[ouis] former king of France, and of my mother, and of my brother L[ouis] the illustrious king, and of his son lord Philip and of my sons, and my whole family, I assign it to God and St. John the Baptist, and the holy house of the Hospital at Jerusalem, and the poor of Christ, and the venerable master R[oger] of Les Moulins, and all the brothers, present and future in perpetuity, with all its appurtenances and with all its rights, as I held them inside and out, far and near, in green and dry.           So that the holy house of the Hospital may have the said village freely and without any charge, may hold it and possess it in perpetuity for the uses of the poor.  Namely on such a condition that each year, as long as I live and remain in the East, the house of the hospital  will give me five hundred besants on the assumption of the blessed mother of God, Mary always virgin, to do as I will.  Which if, God willing, it should happen that I go overseas and remain there, the Hospitalers will pay to me or at my command 12 marks and a half of pure silver for those five hundred besants in Troy weight at Pentecost, in the chapter of Ceresers (Les Cerisiers?) or wherever that chapter shall have been transferred.  And those five hundred besants which I ought to have and receive at Jerusalem may drop.  So that if I or my command cannot be at the said term when I would seek the forenamed besants or marks of silver, I may have them without ill will thereafter or overseas.  After my death, the Hospitalers will receive my body and bury it in their cemetery honorably as their sister, and have my anniversary celebrated and possess the village of the house of the Hospital peacefully and in perpetuity.  The said besants and marks of silver may drop thereafter and overseas and noone of that family or another may presume to seek or extort them or the village further from the Hospital.  If any malicious person should arise against this gift of mine -- may it not be -- and wish to act perversely, let him incur the curse and wrath of almighty God.  And that this gift of mine remain in force and firm, I had the writing protected and enforced by the authentic impression of my seal.  This was done in this 1173rd [sic] year from the incarnation of the Lord.  Witnesses of this thing are:  lord R. of Sidon; lord P[eter] of Creseto, castellan of Jerusalem; William of Molebech; Anselmus, son of Gibelin; Raynald Litald; Amalric of Franco Loco; Anselm Babin; Robert Niger; Nicolas Manzur; Robert of Picquigny; Joffrey of Tours; W[illiam] Ebrald; John Brecci; Ernulf of Bianca Garda; Peter of St. Lazarus; Odrez; Bernard Proez; Robert from the village of St. Giles; Soffrid of Issoudun; Thibaut of Canci (Canche?); master Lambert, who wrote [it].

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis, patris et filii et spiritus sancti, amen.  Notum sit universis sancte matris ecclesie filiis, tam presentibus quam futuris, quod ego Constancia, bone memorie quondam regis Gallie L[udovici] filia, et strenui Galliarum regis L[udovici] soror, nec non et S. Egidii comitissa, visis sancte domus Hospitalis Jerusalem oculata fide innumeris beneficiis, et misericordie operibus que in eadem Christi membris die ac nocte pro humanitatis obsequio exibentur, pietatis et misericordie intuitu, me in consororem in prefate sancte domus communi capitulo, in manus magistri R[ogerii] de Molinis, in cimiterio eorum ad sepelliendum dono; necnon et casale meum, Betheras quod dicitur, in planis Ascalone situm, quod meis propriis bisanciis libere et quiete emi, et meo justo exercitio conquisivi, coram subscriptis testibus in eodem capitulo do et trado, et libere et quiete in perpetuam elemosinam, pro salute anime mee et patris mei pie recordationis regis olim Francie L[udovici], et matris mee, et fratris mei illustris regis L[udovici], et ejus filii domini Philippi et filiorum meorum, et totius generis mei, assigno Deo et sancto Johanni Baptiste, et sancte domui Hospitalis Jerusalem, et Christi pauperibus, et venerabili magistro R[ogerio] de Molinis, et omnibus fratribus tam presentibus quam imperpetuum futuris, cum omnibus pertinentiis et cum omni jure suo, sicut tenui intus et extra, longe et prope, in viridi et sicco. Ita scilicet quod sancta domus Hospitalis prefatum casale libere et absque omni exactione habeat, teneat et in perpetuum ad usus pauperum possideat. Tali videlicet conditione quod singulis annis, quamdiu vixero et in terra orientali commorabor, quingentos bizancios ad assumptionem beate Dei genitricis semper virginis Marie domus Hospitalis ad voluntatem meam faciendam mihi donabit. Quod si, nutu Dei, ultra mare me ire contigerit et immorari, pro illis quingentis bizantiis xii marcas et dimidiam argenti meri ad pondus Troie ad pentecosten, in capitulo de Ceresers vel ubi capitulum translatum fuerit, mihi vel jussioni mee Hospitalarii persolvant; et illi quingenti bizantii, quos Jerusalem habere et recipere debebam, prorsus cadant. Quod si ego vel jussio mea ad predictos terminos esse non potero, cum prenominatos bizantios sive marcas argenti requisiero, sine malo ingenio citra vel ultra mare habeam. Post obitum vero meum corpus meum Hospitalarii accipiant, et in cimite­rio suo, ut consororis sue, honorifice acceptum sepeliant, et annuale meum celebrari faciant, et casale domus Hospitalis libere et quiete in imperpetuum possideat. Prefati vero bizantii et marche argenti citra et ultra mare prorsus cadant, et nemo de genere suo vel alieno illos sive casale amplius querere vel extorquere ab Hospitali presumat. Quod si aliquis malignus contra hanc meam donationem, quod absit, surrexerit, et perverse agere voluerit, maledictionem et iram omnipotentis Dei incurrat. Et ut hoc meum donum ratum et firmum permaneat, sigilli mei auctentica inpressione scriptum, hoc muniri et roborari feci. Factum est autem hoc anno ab incarnatione Domini mclxx iii (sic). Hujus rei testes sunt: dominus R. de Sidone;  dominus P[etrus] de Creseto, castellanus de Jerusalem; Willelmus de Molebech; Anselmus, filius Gibelini; Rainaldus Litaldus; Amalricus de Franco Loco; Anselmus Babin; Robertus Niger; Nicolaus Manzur; Robertus de Pinkeni; Joffridus de Turs; W[illelmus] Ebraldi; Johannes Brecci; Ernulfus de Bianca Garda; Petrus de S. Lazaro; Odrez; Bernardus Proez; Robertus de casali S. Egidii; Soffridus d'Issodun; Tiebaldus de Canci; magister Lambertus, qui scripsit.

Historical context:

The countess, who is now living in the East, affilitates herself with the order of the Hospital, to be buried in their cemetery and gives them the village of Bayt Daras in the plain of Ascalon.  She is to receive 500 besants from the order each year as long as she lives, or an equivalent sum in silver if she returns to France.  Constance's sons were Raymond VI of Toulouse, Baldwin, and Alberic.

Printed source:

Delaville Le Roulx, J., Cartulaire General de l’Ordre des Hospitaliers de S. Jean de Jerusalem 1100-1310 (Paris:  Leroux, 1894). #551.

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